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Learning Context/ Introduction

One of the most challenging hurdles facing adolescent English language learners who are new to the country is passing the Comprehensive Regents Examination in English in order to graduate from high school. As their native language arts teacher, I wanted to create an opportunity for these Chinese-speaking students to develop the critical thinking and writing skills that they will need to generate a standard essay of literary analysis, which is a major part of the examination, embedded in Task IV.

The students were expected to draw from rich literature in their native language. In addition, they were required to meet the standards (translated into Chinese) from the New York State rubrics used to evaluate the Task IV section of the examination (known as the critical lens essay.)

Students learned step-by-step how to interpret the critical lens, how to choose two literary works appropriate to the topic, and how to develop the format and style of a literary critique. Peer evaluation of the essays with the rubric enhanced their critical thinking skills, which in turn helped them improve their writing ability.

Student Work

Student Work

Procedure

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES

• Opens with a question on the board, “What is courage?”
• Asks probing questions to facilitate understanding of the key word courage.
• Records students' responses on a semantic map on the board.
• Summarizes the responses from the group brainstorm and introduces the quote by Ernest Hemingway, “Courage is grace under pressure,” taken from a critical lens question on Task IV of the English Regents Examination.
• Creates cooperative groups of four students of varying Chinese language ability and assigns roles for students to fill for the tasks required.
• Sets the stage for writing the analytical essay by asking, “Do you ever agree or disagree with your friends?”
• Uses their responses to introduce the topic of writing an essay of critical analysis.
• Provides a copy of the Task IV guidelines of the English Regents Examination with a Chinese translation on the back.
• Leads the class discussion of the writing process. Addresses the question of how to formulate a coherent, unified essay that meets the requirements of Task IV and uses appropriate sentence structure and vocabulary.
• Gives a homework assignment for which students are to write their responses in an essay form that meets the Task IV requirements.
• Pairs students for peer evaluation, providing them with a copy of the translated rubric for evaluating the Task IV essays; this evaluation will lead to student revision of their essays.
• Evaluates the final essay from each student, using the NYS rubric.
• Requires the students to write a second critical lens essay, choosing from a list of nine topics and following the same procedure.
• Evaluates students' second essays and reflections.
• Posts the students' essays on the class bulletin board.

WHAT THE STUDENTS DO

• Brainstorm their understanding of the word courage and respond to teacher's probing questions.
• Work in cooperative groups in assigned roles.
• Complete tasks related to critical lens statement, including brainstorming the statement and providing a logical interpretation of it in Chinese; decide on two literary works they have already read in Chinese that would best support the critical lens; and give reasons why they selected them.
• Report back to the whole class and write their findings on the board.
• Evaluate the cooperative groups' reports as a whole class, and copy down the interpretations and possible literary works that would support Hemingway's statement.
• Respond to teacher's guided questions about how to write an essay of critical analysis.
• Take notes on the way a critical analysis essay should be structured.
• Write a first draft of a critical analysis essay, using their notes from class.
• Work in pairs to evaluate each other's work, using the Chinese translation of the NYS Task IV rubric.
• Provide written and verbal feedback to their partners on ways to improve their essays.
• Revise their essays and submit them to the teacher.
• Choose another critical lens statement, and write a second essay of their own choosing.
• Present their essays orally and write a reflection on the entire learning experience.

Instructional/ Environmental Modifications

• Groups were set up to accommodate the range of language proficiency levels for interpreting the critical lens statement and brainstorming appropriate literary works for analysis.
• Students were paired to evaluate their draft essays according to the NYS rubric for Task IV.
• Chairs were arranged in small groups of four for discussion of critical lens statement. Later the chairs were moved into a large circle for whole class presentation.
• A bulletin board was created to display the students' critical essays and share their writing experience.

Materials and Supplies

• List of ten critical lens statements in English and Chinese
• Task IV guidelines from the English Regents Examination in both English and Chinese
• Copy of Task IV assessment rubric in English and Chinese
• Four flash cards assigning roles for cooperative group work: monitor, recorder, reporter, and timekeeper
• Color chalks and markers to make corrections
• One marker and one piece of chart paper for each cooperative group to record their interpretations of critical lens statement and potential pool of literary works

Assessment Tools and Techniques

• Posting of interpretations of critical lens on the blackboard
• Two critical lens essays graded via the NYS Task IV rubric
• Comments written by students during paired peer reviews
• Oral presentations of essays by students
• Peer evaluation of revised copy
• Teacher-student conferences

Time Required

• One week for teacher to gather materials and translate them into Chinese, including: copy of Task IV of the English Regents Examination; compiled list of critical lens statements; and the scoring rubric.
• Two full periods of prewriting activities.
• One period for students to provide feedback through paired group work.
• One period for students to discuss the remaining critical lens statements.
• One period to present their second essays in small groups, and to write their reflection on the learning experience.

Student Work

Selected Example:

Student Work

Reflection

“This series of lessons provided extraordinary opportunities for students with varying language proficiency to explore the world of literature with the focus of generating a standard essay of literary analysis. Although the lessons and activities were conducted in a language other than English, the literary\ techniques and writing styles that students acquired through the whole process would inevitably help them to produce a satisfactory essay that meets the requirements for the English Regents. High motivation was visible throughout the activities. The students felt confident and better prepared. As one student put it, ‘Now I am equipped with a hammer that will eventually help me crack a hard nut.”

Source

Wu, Li Bing. "What Is Courage?" Learning Experiences in the Native Languages. New York State Education Department, 110-113.

Related Academic Standards

New York State

NLA3.C.LR1A Students recognize and acknowledge various perspectives on issues of local, national, and world concern.

NLA3.C.LR1L 

Students analyze and evaluate native language fiction including:

• the development of a central idea or theme
• the development of characters and their actions

NLA3.C.SW2A Students express opinions or make judgments in the first language about ideas, information, experience, and issues in literary, scientific, and historic articles, public documents, and advertisements.

NLA3.C.SW2J Students state an opinion, or present a judgment, by developing a thesis and providing supporting evidence, arguments, and details.

NLA4.C.LR1C Students listen for multiple levels of meaning in the native language, articulated and unspoken.

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